Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Ashley Belote, Squirrel Lock Holmes

Ashley Belote's First Graphic Novel, Squirrel Lock Holmes, For 2026

Ashley Belote's first graphic novel, Squirrel Lock Holmes, to be published by Random House Graphic in 2026

Published Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:57:07 -0500

Article Summary

Ashley Belote debuts Squirrel Lock Holmes, a graphic novel series launching with The Pet Rock Mystery in 2026.
Detective Squirrel Lock Holmes and Mole Watson solve quirky forest mysteries using humor and problem-solving.
Random House Graphic acquires world rights for three books, with two sequels planned for 2026 release.
Belote is a seasoned author-illustrator with a background in animation and children’s literature.

Squirrel Lock Holmes: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote is a full-colour graphic novel chapter book series about" intrepid Detective Squirrel Lock Holmes and her trusty sidekick, Mole Watson, as they solve minor local crimes in their forest using problem-solving techniques and humor." Jenna Lettice at Random House Graphic has bought world rights to Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery and suits two sequels (or squeakwells) for publication in the spring of 2026 and the first sequel, or squeawell, Squirrel Lock Holmes Mystery: A Corny Maze Mystery, in the autumn of 2026.

"It's a mystery, my dear Watson! Detective Squirrel Lock Holmes and her trusty sidekick Mole Watson are on the hunt for a missing pet rock in this first book of the hilarious early graphic chapter book series. Victim: Reggie the Rabbit's Pet Rock, Dwayne (aka, "the Rock") Scene of the Crime: Pet Rock Obedience School. Suspects: Reggie's classmates — and even his teacher! Detective Squirrel Lock Holmes and her partner in crime-solving — Mole Watson — are experts in finding lost things. But can they find Reggie's pet rock? Or will they hit rock bottom? Early chapter book readers will laugh along at the problem-solving skills of the silliest sleuths in the forest in this full-color graphic novel."

Ashley Belote is the author/illustrator of Witch & Wombat (PRH 2023), Sheepwrecked (PRH 2024), Don't Wash Winston (Feiwel & Friends 2024), Listen Up, Louella, The Me Tree, and A Partridge in the We Tree. She is also the illustrator of Frankenslime and Valenslime by Joy Keller (Feiwel & Friends, 2021). She studied traditional animation under the direction of Don Bluth. Ashley is a West Virginia native, and earned her BA from Alderson Broaddus University. She earned her MA in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky. Her graduate study included a children's literature and illustration course, The Whole Book Approach, through Simmons College at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. She also serves as the Illustrator Coordinator for the Carolinas chapter of SCBWI.